Metallic cartridge belt link



Aug. 26, 1947. F. GOLDHSH'ER 426,8

METALLIC CARTRIDGE BELT LINK Filed March 1, 1945 Patented Aug. 26,

UNITED STATS METALLC CARTRIDGE BELTLI'NK Fred Goldsher, Chicago, Ill., assignor tol United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of War Application March 1, 1943, serial 10.477530 (ci. sas-35) 2 Claims. l

My invention relates to metallic cartridge belt links suchV as are disclosed in the Laystrom et al. Patent 2,286,286 dated June 16, 19.42. Links of this type are progressively formed by suitable die structure out of sheet metal and comprise a body part from one side of which extend a pair of cartridge receiving loops axially aligned and separated, and a hinge. loop on the other side opposite the space between the cartridge receiving loops.' Links of this type, when assembled with cartridges to form belts, are subjected to longitudinal stretching tension and if such tension is not sufiiciently resisted by the links, the stretch may become permanent so that the distance between the axis of the cartridge receiving loop and the axis of the hinge loop on a link is increased beyond a certain limit which might interfere with proper firing of the cartridges when a belt is fed through a gun. The weakest part of the link is in the hinge loop, and unless the free end of the loop is securely anchored to the link body, the loop may distort under stretch tension to swing its free end away from the link body, such links being therefore unsuitable or use.

The important object of my invention is to provide simple and practical means in links of this type for securing or anchoring the free end of the hinge loop to the link body to prevent opening of the loop when the link is in service in a belt.

A further object is to provide interlock between the hinge loop end and the link body by means of interlocking formations thereon which can b'e readily formed by die structure as the link is being progressively formed from sheet metal.

My invention will be clearly understood from the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the link;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a side view;

Figure 4 is a section on plane IV--IV Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end view showing the hinge loop opened up just before its interlocking engagement with the link body; and

Figure 6 is a section on plane VI-VI Figure 1.

The link comprises the body part I!) from whose end at one side thereof extend the cartridge receiving loops II and I2 in axial alignment but spaced axially apart, and the hinge loop I3 extending from the other edge of the body intermediate its ends to be in alignment with the space between the loops Il and I2, the loops being circular. During passage of the sheet metal blanks through the die structure, the

tongue which eventually becomes the hinge loop is perforated to provide the transversely extending slot or opening I4 between which and the end edge of the tongue the metal is deflected outwardly to form a tie portion I5.

'Ihe side of the body Il] opposite to that from which the hinge loop forming tongue extends is formed in the dies to provide an extension or neck I6 terminating in a head II. During bending of the tongue to Iform the link loop, the end of the tongue is caused to receive in its opening Ill the head Il and with the toe portion I5 spanning the neck I6 extending from the link body.

This tie portion l5 when formed on the embryo link may be of arched or dome shape as shown on Figure 5 and by the dotted lines on Figure 6, and then during the nal formation of the link the ends of the tie portion are deflected to intimately engage against the side edges of the neck I6 to be behind the ends I8 of the head Il. The head I'l is thus locked in the opening I4 in the end of the hinge loop and the neck I6 is bridged and engaged at its side edges by the tie portion I5 so that the hinge loop end is securely anchored to the link body against opening, or pull-away from the body, the hinge loop end in axial direction relative to the link body ls also prevented. The interlocking arrangement does not interfere in any wise with service operation of the links when in the belt. With my interlock, the links, so far as the hinge loop is concerned, will pass the stretching test to which the links are subjected, and the link, when in service, will maintain within predetermined tolerances the distance between the axis of the cartridge receiving loops and that of the hinge loop.

I have shown a rectangular opening or slot in the hinge loop end and a T-shaped extension or tongue on the link body, but other shapes could be used -for eiecting the interlock. Other changes and modications are also possible which would still come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as follows:

1. In a link of the type described, a body having opposite edges, a loop on said body comprising an extension projecting from one edge of said body and having a free end returned to a point adjacent the opposite edge thereof, said extension including means forming a transversely disposed slot spaced from the free end thereof, means on said extension between said slot and said free end forming a channel normal to said slot and of a width less than the transverse extent of said slot and displacement of and of a depth approximately equal to the thickness of said extension, and a tongue projecting from said opposite edge of said body having al head portion disposed within the periphery of said loop and interlocked with said slot and having a shank lying at least in part within said channel.

2. In a cartridge heit llink of the type described, a body portion,v an interrupted loop on'said bodyj portion disposed normalthereto, said'int'erru'pt-l ed loop having two end portions, means to re,- leasaloly connect said end portions, said means comprising a T-shaped tongue haifirigman"'elriA gated bar and neck portions formed on one of. said end portions of the looprycooperatingl con# necting means on the other of said end portions including a slot arranged to receive and conform to the bar of said tongue, thematerialof. saidloop between said slot and the end of saidsecond end portion being outwardly offset in part "t'o" forni a recess to receive `and conform tothe tongue neck. Portieri. Wherebraidf omloop, en@

4 portions are prevented from becoming disconnected in a direction circumferentially of said loop, the neck portion and said recess functioning to prevent disengagement of said T-shaped tongue in a direction radially outward from said loop. l

FRED GOLDFISI-IER.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNT-TED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 1:55919? Dawson et al. Aug. 25, 1925 221611527 Laystrom Nov. 4, 1941 y Y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 161,320 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1921 527,157 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1940 127,840. Great Britain Juno 19,1919. 

